Means for automatically flushing fluid tanks



A ril 23, 1935'. w. w. WILLIAMS 1,998,478

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY FLUSHING FLUID TANKS Original Filed Feb. '15, 1933 0 0 8 l 25 E '15 23 0 o C 5: Q l

JNVENTOR. 4 3 h HLTER MW/LL/fl/VJ ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED,- STATES MEANS FOR, AUTOMATICALLY FLUSHING FLUID TANKS lvvalter w. Williams, Bloomington, n1.

Original application February 15, 1933, Serial No.

656,817. Divided and this application Decemher 26,1933, SerialNo. 704,059

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a means for automatically flushing'the bottom of a fluid tank when the level of the fluid therein reach-es a predetermined degree below its normal level and thereafter filling the tank with fresh fluid until the 1 uid therein reaches the normal level.

This application is a division of this applieants prior co-pending application Serial No. 656,817, filed February 15, 1933 which bears Patent No. 1,950,345, dated March 6, 1934. Nhdle this mechanism was disclosed in the said prior application as applied to a water cooling tower for reducing the temperature of water employed in condensers, it may be used for any other purpose who; in the level of a fluid in a tank is reduced by any cause whatsoever and it is desired, when the level reaches a predetermined low, to flush the bottom of the tank and thereafter refill to the normal level.

A device of this character is of particular ad vantage when applied'to water cooling towers in which the water is circulated through a conenser air passed therethrough to cool the same because a certain amount of dirt and dust will be collected from the air which will settle at the bottom or the tank, causing the water therein to become foul or muddy and when circulated through the condenser Will reduce the efficiency thereof. 7 I

With these andother objects in view, reference is made to the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating an embodiment of this invention with the understanding that minor changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view in central vertical section through the bottom of a water tank illustrating the application of this invention, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the position of parts when the water is at thenormal level.

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the position of the parts when the level of the water descended suficiently to open the flushing valve.

Figure 3 is a similar view after the tank has been flushed and the receding water level has closed the flushing valve and opened the water inlet valve.

In the embodiment of this invention illustrated, the bottom closure l of the water tank 2 is preferably depressed at the center of one side thereof, out out, and a plate closure 3 secured to the underside thereof, which plate is perforated for the cnti me of a tank valve casing l secured to the underside of the plate ,3 and providing a valve seat on the upper side of said plate. The lower end of the tank valve casing is connected to a discharge pipe, not shown, leading to the sewer. A reciprocating tank valve 5 having a depending guide stem passing through a spindle within the valve casing and spaced apart straps 6 extending upward therefrom into'the storage tank mounted to co act with the seat provided therefor in the valve casing 4.

At one side of the valve two spaced-apart vercal parallel pivot supports 1 extending into the tank are mounted upon the plate 3. A float 8 is mounted to slide upon a vertical guide rod 8 which is mounted forvertical movement by being pivoted at each end to the pivoted arms l0 and M respectively. The upper arm I6 is pivotally mounted between the supports 7 and preferably extended therebeyond to mount an adjustable counterweight iii to regulate the sensitiveness of the operation of the float, as hereinafter described. The lower arm H is likewise pivoted between the supports 1 and is extended -there-' beyond and between the straps 6 secured to the upper side of the tank valve head 5. The lower arm H is preferably formed of two parallel spaced-apart similar members which mount between them a pivot latch lt-adapted to engage a pin it passing horizontally through the straps 6. This latch 53 is provided on one side with spacedapart stops 55 adapted to engage a pin it between the members of the lower arm H to limit its pivotal movement in both directions and is also provided with an extension ii on the side opposite said stops it adapted to be engaged with an adjustable stop It in the form of a bolt threaded through the horizontal arm 13 extendberesting upon its valve seat, as shown in Figure 1. As the water level descends on account of evaporation or from other causes, the float 8 mounted between spaced-apart parallel supports- 24 also carried upon the plate 3. The pivoted lever 23 is provided with spaced-apart stops" adapted to be alternately engaged by the pin 22 to rotate the lever about its pivot. A coil compression spring 25 is mounted between an anchor on the upper side of the lever 23 directly above its pivot and an anchor in vertical axial alignment with said pivot depending thereabove from the support 24, whereby whenever the lever 23 is rotated in either direction, as soon as the spring 25 is thrown off center, it will carry the movement in the same direction until one of the stops engages the pin 22 upon the arm I I. These parts are so arranged that when the float has reached I its upper limit of travel, the lower arm H will be rotated to engage the lower stop upon the pivoted lever 23 and rotate the same to the position shown in Figure 1. When the float has descended to the position shown in Figure 2, the pin 22 will have travelled in the direction of the opposite stop so that upon the water being discharged from the tank, the float will descend further, causing the latch it: by engagement with the adjustable stop [8 to be rotated until its stop I 5 engages the pin it whereby the latch it will become disengaged from the valve head straps allowing the tank valve to close by gravity and the pressure of water thereabove, and at the same time. causing the lever 23 to rotate and throw the spring 25 off center on the opposite side. The stops, 2% and ill on the float guide 9 are adjustable so that the travel of he float 8 may be predetermined thereby.

A water supply pipe 26 enters through plate passes about the supports 25 and communicates with a supply valve casing ill mounted upon said supports which valve casing has a discharge port on one side thereof and mounts a reciprocating supply valve 28 having a pivotal connection with the end of the pivoted lever 23, whereby when the said lever has been rotated by the float reaching its upper limit of travel, the supply valve will be seated and will remain seated until the float reaches its lower end of travel and just be fore the discharge valve 5 is closed and thereafter water will be discharged through the supply valve casing 2'! until the float 8 has reached the upper limit of its travel and thrown the lever 23 to seat the supply valve 23.

What I claim is:

1. In a water tank for a water cooling tower, a normally closed tank valve in the bottom of the water tank, a normally closed supply valve within the water tank connected to a source of independent water supply, a float operated mecha nism periodically actuated as the level of the collected water rises as a result or" the dehydration of the circulated air to first open the tank valve, then close the tank valve and open the water supply valve, then as the water level becomes normal to close the water supply valve, including a catch pin mounted upon the tank valve extending within the tank adapted to be engaged by a pivoted latch, a lever carrying said pivoted latch pivotally mounted upon a support extending upward from the bottom of the tank and extending therebeyond, a horizontal float guide pivoted to the free end of said lever, a float mounted to slide upon said guide, adjustable stops upon the guide above and below the float adapted upon engagement by the float to impart rotation to the lever, an adjustable stop carried upon the support adapted to be engaged by the latch to release the tank valve at the lower end of travel of the float, said latch adapted to engage said catch at the upward end of travel of the float whereby the descent of the float to engage the lower stop and continued movement in that direction lifts the tank valve from its seat.

2. In a water tank for a water cooling tower, a normally closed tank valve in the bottom of the water tank, a normally closed supply valve within the water tank connected to a source of independent water supply, a float operated mechanism periodically actuated as the level of the collected water rises as a result of the dehydration of the circulated air to first open the tank valve, then close the tank valve and open the water supply valve, and then as the water level becomes normal to close the water supply valve, including a pivoted lever mounted upon a support extending upward from the bottom of the tank with a portion passing over the tank valve mounting means for alternately connecting and disconnecting the lever to said valve and a float carried upon the other extremity of said lever adapted to impart rotation thereto, a pivoted water supply valve operatin arm having a pivotal connection at one end with the water supply valve and a lost motion connection at the other end with the free end of that portion of the lever carrying the tank valve attachment whereby, in the lowermost position of that end of the lever, both tank valve and Water supply valve are simultaneously closed and upon rotation of the lever the tank valve is opened before the water supply valve is opened.

3. In a water tank for a water cooling tower, a normally closed tank valve in the bottom of the water tank, a normally closed supply valve Within the water tank connected to a source of independent water supply, a float operated mechanism periodically actuated as the level of the collected water rises as a result of the dehydration of the circulated air to first open the tank valve, then close the tank valve and open the water supply valve, then as the water level becomes normal to close the water supply valve, including a catch pin mounted upon the tank valve extending within the tank adapted to be engaged by a pivoted latch, a lever carrying said pivoted latch pivotally mounted upon a support extending upward from the bottom of the tank and extending therebe yond, a horizontal float guide pivoted to the free end of said lever, a float mounted to slide upon said guide, adjustable stops upon the guide above and below the float adapted upon engagement by the float to impart rotation to the lever, an adjustable stop carried upon the support adapted to be engaged by the latch to release the tank valve at the lower end of travel of the float, said latch adapted to engage said catch at the upward end of travel of the float whereby the descent of the float to engage the lower stop and continued movement in that direction lifts the tank valve from its seat, a pivoted water supply valve opcrating arm having a pivotal connection at one end with the water supply valve and a lost motion connection at the other end with the free end of that portion of the lever carrying the tank valve attachment whereby, in the lowermost position of that end of the lever, both tank valve and water supply valve are simultaneously closed and upon rotation of the lever the tank valve is opened before the water supply valve is opened and upon rotation of said lever in the opposite direction the water discharge valve is closed after the tank valve is closed.

WALTER W. WILLIAMS. 

